It is well-known to provide covers for drinking containers to prevent the spillage of the contents of the container. Many prior art covers incorporate an opening in the top of the cover in order to allow drinking of the contents either in the normal drinking fashion or by the insertion of a straw. Some covers utilize a releasable drinking flap in order to prevent the sloshing of the contents out of the containers. Other covers have an opening which is sealed by a depressible tab such that when the tab is depressed, the opening is unsealed for either drinking the contents of the container or for the pouring of the contents from the container.
As discussed hereinabove, lids have been proposed having preformed openings therein which permit the contents of the container to be drank through the opening or the contents to be poured from the container without removing the lid. However, in many proposed designs, the opening is positioned in a manner such that when the container is full, the contents may be readily spilled therefrom if the container is jarred even the slightest. In an effort to overcome the spillage problem, consumption of the contents of the container by the consumer is difficult due to the positioning of the opening. In an effort to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings, the lid design set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,624 issued to Sokolowski discloses a drinking cover for a beverage container including a circular wall and annular side wall which is sealingly received on a respective container. In this instance, the top wall is tapered downwardly from front to back and includes an opening therein which is covered by a sealing flap which is positioned on the inside of the top wall of the cover. When pressure from the user's mouth is placed about the opening in the top wall, the sealing flap is displaced from the opening permitting the contents of the container to be poured therefrom. However, manufacturer of such a lid requiring a two-piece construction is both complicated and expensive and results in a lid design which is cumbersome and difficult to use by the consumer.
In an effort to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings, the lid design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,569 issued to Clements includes a lid construction having an annular mounting portion for engaging the lip of a respective cup as well as an annular side wall similar to that discussed hereinabove. Additionally, a recess for receiving the lip of the consumer is provided in a top surface of the lid to allow the consumer to grip the portion of the lid adjacent the drink-thru opening formed in the top wall. While the recess makes the contents of the container more accessible by the consumer, the surface for supporting a second cup containing a beverage is significantly interrupted which may permit the second container to easily topple over should a portion of the bottom of the container extend into the recess. Moreover, with a centrally located top surface, the size of the drinking opening is necessarily restricted, thus constricting the flow of fluid therethrough.
Clearly, there is a need for a disposable drink-thru lid which prevents spillage of the contents of the container incorporating the lid while also providing a continuous top surface for supporting a second container thereon. Moreover, there is a need for a drink-thru disposable lid which provides a drink-thru opening which minimizes the restriction of the fluid flow therethrough while permitting the consumer to comfortably drink the contents of the container with the lid in place.